Need a new podcast to listen to? Interested to see what your favorite YA authors are up to? Or bored out of your mind during quarantine? Be sure to check out We are YA, hosted by Penguin Teen staffers Felicity and Anna. Various episodes include interviews with bestselling and debut YA authors about both their current and upcoming work/projects, as well as discussions about societal issues such as social media and the mental health crisis. There are several episodes already, with more coming in the wake of the pandemic.The newest episodes interview YA authors about what they are doing during this time of “social distancing” as “stay-at-home” orders become the new “normal.” Several of the authors are currently working on new books or finishing up ongoing projects.
The hostess Felicity does a great job of opening up the conversation to more than just the authors’ books, but about the inspiration behind their writing and how the author relates to their work. So far, my favorite episode has been Jennifer Dugan’s interview, whose debut YA novel Hot Dog Girl was released last spring. Her newest book, Verona Comics will be released at the end of this month, so be sure to keep an eye out for that. Both books are fun and fluffy contemporary queer romances with plenty of laughs to be had. Another favorite of mine was the interview with Renee Ahdieh about her newest book “The Beautiful” which is definitely going to be added to my “to read” list. This historical vampire novel is a whirlwind of romance and a thrilling murder mystery set in New Orleans. Ahdieh talks about the culinary aspect to the novel and how she cooked all the dishes she included in her book for “research.”
We are YA is a podcast for anyone that enjoys YA and is a nice break in the middle of all this turmoil. Hope you all enjoy it as much I do! Be sure to stay tuned as more episodes are added weekly.
--Ashleigh Edwards, Library Associate
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